What Kind of Ornament Am I?

I was reading a seasonal devotional using ornaments as illustrations. I found it interesting and challenging and slightly amusing. I've included the synopsis, not the entire devotional by Julia Bettencourt! The final ornament, obviously what we strive to be through Jesus, really spoke to me. For the past several months God has been working in my heart through 1 Peter 3:3-4.

Don't be concerned about the outward beauty of fancy hairstyles, expensive jewelry, or beautiful clothes. You should clothe yourselves INSTEAD, with the beauty that comes from within, the unfading beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, which is so precious to God.

I assure you that I'm not even close to obtaining this standard but I'm trusting God to complete His work in me. There are too many banging gongs in this world and how I love being around people with sweet spirits! That draws people to Jesus! Not the banging gong type! Be encouraged!

What Kind of Ornament...

Tarnished  ~

Have you seen those Christmas ornaments that are beautiful, you pick them up and all the paint, and glitter comes off in your hand? Are you that way? Have you been rubbed the wrong way a few times? Has the bad air hit you so much that you've become tarnished and lost your luster? Someone's said something to you and just peeled off all your paint and joy? Maybe you've been slighted by another Christian or had a disagreement with a friend and never made up with them. That paint and glitter has come rolling off you and your heart life shows signs of wear.


Ugly ~

There are just some ornaments that are just that, plain ugly! You may not be ugly on the outside but inside there's some sad ugliness. Got an ugly attitude? Do you speak ugly words? Do you wear ugly expressions? Do you just reflect ugliness? These types of ornaments hang on the tree all by themselves because nobody wants to be around them.

Packed Away  ~

Are you broken and falling apart? Some people just radiate the fact that their life has problems. In reality we all have problems but we all don't wear those problems as our wardrobe like some. You can't ask these ornaments to participate in anything because there might be a catastrophe in their lives. Not that we all don't go through trials but sometimes they are trials of our own makings. We get our lives all broken and falling apart because we don't have our priorities in the right place or we don't depend on Christ as we should. In turn we get cracked and broken because we're trying to hold ourselves together on our own.

Perfect ~

This is the type of ornament we all would like to strive to be. The kind that builds up the body of Christ and reflects all that is lovely. An ornament that beautifies and adorns.

"An ornament of a meek and quiet spirit, which is in the sight of God of great price"

Oh to have the right kind of heart. Meek in that we have a patient, and mild heart that God can work in. A quiet spirit in that we let God take control. We let Him be in charge of our hearts and lives. There are so many verses in the Bible that comes back to the heart and how it is the reflection of what we are. What we keep in our heart is so important. It has to be filled with godly things in order to embellish and adorn the body of Christ properly.

"Speaking to yourselves in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody in your heart to the Lord" Ephesians 5:19

"...For out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaketh. A good man out of the good treasure of the heart bringeth forth good things: and an evil man out of the evil treasure bringeth forth evil things." Matthew 12:34,35

"For from within, out of the heart of men, proceed evil thoughts,
adulteries, fornications, murders, Thefts, covetousness, wickedness,
deceit, lasciviousness, an evil eye, blasphemy, pride, foolishness:
All these evil things come from within, and defile the man." Mark 7:21-23
"Jesus said unto him, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart,
and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind." Matthew 22:37

Conclusion:
We can choose how we embellish and adorn the body of Christ by how we act as a reflection of what's in our hearts. As Christians, we are some kind of ornament, whether it is good or bad, dangling for all to see.